Brussels, Paris, Broc, Cologne, Oaxaca, London, New York, and San Francisco are among the top cities where you can find the finest chocolates. But if you want to go off the beaten paths, here are some of the best destinations for chocolate indulgence. From delicious cold chocolate drinks to chocolate spa treatments and more, these are the places you need to explore for a great chocolate tourism experience.

Bariloche, Argentina
Why go: Located in the foothills of the Andes, the picturesque city of Bariloche is not only known for its stunning natural scenery. It is also widely considered as the chocolate capital of Argentina.
Best spots: The chocolate shops at Mitre Avenue also known as the Avenue of Chocolate like the Abuela Goye, Chocolate Patagonico, Mamushka, Rapa Nui, and Torres. Other unmissable attractions include Museo Del Chocolate as well as the chocolate ice creams at Helados Jauja.

Saint Lucia, The Caribbean
Why go: The beaches and mesmerizing waters may be the top things often associated with Saint Lucia. But the beautiful Carribean island also boasts of a chocolate heritage that dates back to the 1700s. For chocoholics, August is a great time to visit as the island celebrates Chocolate Heritage Month.
Best spots: Boucan Hotel for the Rabot Estate Molten Chocolate, chocolate spa treatment, and the chocolate-making experience. The Jade Mountain is also famous for its Emerald Estate Organic Chocolate and Chocolate Laboratory.

Tokyo, Japan
Why go: Tokyo’s food scene is divine. The city is not only brimming with dining options where you can enjoy traditional Japanese cuisine and a wide selection of Michelin-starred restaurants. It is also home to numerous chocolatiers and chocolate shops where you can find top quality concoctions.
Best spots: Meiji’s 100% Chocolate Cafe in Kyobashi for its 56 varieties of chocolates, Chocolatier Palet D’Or (Marunouchi), Jean-Paul Hevin (Shinjuku), La Masion Du Chocolat (Ginza), Lindt Chocolat Café (Ginza), Michel Chaudun (Ginza), Minimal (Yoyogi), Pierre Marcolini (Ginza), and Wako Chocolate Salon (Ginza)

If you’re a die-hard fan of chocolate, you’re going to love this post. This building attracts around 10 million visitors annually, and the admission is free. But that’s not the only good thing. You can eat for free too! And the best part? It’s made entirely of chocolate!

Designed by the Italian architecture firm Carlo Ratti Associati (CRA), the building is located at Fico Eataly World, which is a theme park committed to serving Italian cuisine in Bologna, Italy. Thanks to the high-end chocolatier Venchi and the brains of the designers, people can get to enjoy a visiting a chocolate pavilion with edible walls.

The building even uses facial recognition to measure how the visitors will react while eating chocolate. Who wouldn’t want to visit a pavilion made of 30,000 pralines of different varieties?

The project was led by the brilliant Carlo Ratti, who is the founding partner of the CRA and the director of the Senseable City Lab at MIT.

Visitors are allowed to get their own chocolates from the exterior wall, which is 10 feet long and 20 feet tall. Inside, there’s a screen that captures the visitors’ emotions while taking a bite of the delicious chocolate. The interaction design studio DotDotDot developed the screen which uses facial recognition. The studio made sure that the screen could analyze every person’s movement of their eyes, lips, eyebrows, nostrils, and forehead. Then, after the analyzation, their face will be projected on the interior walls. How cool is that?

Carlo Ratti said they wanted to build a chocolate wall for the park because it would create minimal waste. According to him, he never liked the idea of using significant amounts of construction materials for exhibitions. After all, they only end up in landfills after a few months. This is why his team thought that a pavilion is better dismantled if people actually take part in the dismantling by eating it.

Speaking of minimal waste, let’s talk about another eco-friendly type of building. Murray Grove suggested that using timber for taller buildings is way better than using concrete especially since the latter is already the one to blame for five percent of global greenhouse-gas emissions. And even that number is already significant if we consider our current environmental status.

The idea to use wood for buildings has a lot of potential because the tools used for wood processing nowadays (like planers, log splitters, and more) are cheaper compared to before. Buildings constructed with wood have been completed already, such as the Forte Building in Melbourne and a 14-story apartment block in Bergen.

It’s clear that architects are becoming more creative and concerned with the planet nowadays. And it’s a good thing! One way to show our support is to visit the buildings and let people know about them.

Trying to differentiate good chocolate from a bad one is just like trying to look for a quality spotting scope. Let’s see why they’re similar.

Manufacturer

When looking for a spotting scope that will cater to your needs—whether that’s hunting, birdwatching, or others—you also need to check out the manufacturer aside from the features. If good chocolates have quality ingredients, a spotting scope must come with the fundamental features too. You know the chocolate is good if the manufacturer used cocoa butter instead of vegetable oil and when they use organic or specialty ingredients.

The chocolate is also good if the manufacturer has been around in the industry for quite some time now. Likewise, when choosing a scope, it’s best to examine if the manufacturer has a good track record and has been in the industry for a long time already. The longer they’ve been existing; chances are the higher the quality of their products. The same goes for the chocolate manufacturers. Check out https://outdooroptics.org for your spotting scope needs.

Package

If the packaging is great, then that chocolate is worth trying. That’s because if the manufacturer can customize their packaging for their customers, then that means they’re committed to bringing you the best chocolate ever from the inside out. Likewise, if the spotting scope has a good package, it will also reflect the dedication of the company that’s producing it for you. After all, most of us tend to look at the presentation first before going into the other details.

The Numbers

The cocoa percentage is essential in chocolates. It measures the amount of cocoa between the cocoa butter, cocoa powder, and chocolate liquor. However, it doesn’t mean that the higher the percentage, the higher the quality of the chocolate is. It still would depend on the ingredients and the process of production. Quality dark chocolate has at least 60% cocoa. Chocolates with 80%, on the other hand, have more bitter taste and are ideal for baking instead of eating plain. Take note that when the cocoa percentage is high, that means the intensity of the flavor and the darkness is also high. For those who love chocolates that are sweet, that’s terrible news.

There are also numbers in spotting scopes. Those are the magnification powers. Some spotting scopes have high power—20-40X, 20-60X range—which are great for spotting objects 200 yards and beyond. On the other hand, some have low power—8-24X, 10-25, 12-30X range—used for 25-75 yards. Some are also in the mid-range, from 10-30X, 18-36X, 15-45X, to 16-48X. These are best for 100 yards.

Sharpness

When I say sharpness, I mean the crisp, clear, and quality lens of the scope and the crisp, sharp snap of a chocolate bar when it’s broken. You’ll know a scope is a wise investment if its magnification power is great and the quality of the images it produces is also commendable. Likewise, you’ll know a chocolate is good if it makes a crispy and clean snap when you break it. However, you should know that white and milk chocolate bend because they contain more milk and sugar compared to dark chocolate. Low-quality dark chocolate also bends and has a dull sound when broken.

So, when choosing a chocolate or a scope, just remember to check out the sharpness, the numbers, the package, and the manufacturer.

Who doesn’t enjoy fun-shaped, chocolate candies? If you want to experiment with chocolate today, then the best thing to do is make your own chocolate candy. Simply follow the steps below.

Step 1: Clean the mold.

Clean the mold thoroughly using a cotton ball to make sure the mold is sanitized and shiny.

Step 2: Prepare your cocoa butter.

Use pre-colored cocoa butter to give you a lot more consistency in your coloring. This is an essential ingredient because mixing at different times may result in different colors, which isn’t preferred if you sell them every day. A too-hot cocoa butter will give you a dull finish. On the other hand, an excessively cold cocoa butter will clog your paint sprayer, so be sure that the cocoa butter is 89° Fahrenheit. It’s the ideal temperature of the cocoa butter inside your gun. You can use any kind of paint sprayer like the ones that Paintsprayermag.com have. Just make sure the container that will host the cocoa butter is clean.

Step 3: Ensure the mold is at the right temperature.

Before painting, make sure the mold is at room temperature, which is around 72°F. After choosing the color, you can proceed to the next step.

Step 4: Start painting!

Begin making the effect you want. It could be small dots, big dots, short lines, or long lines. Whatever it is you want to achieve, do so with your spray gun. You can also obtain a splatter effect by submerging a paintbrush in the paint. Using a brush will result in more lines rather than dots.

Remember that the first color you use in the mold is the first color that will be seen on top of your candy.

After painting the mold with the first color, spray the cocoa butter. Once you’ve filled up your spray gun with cocoa butter, you have to make sure that no other color is inside—this will give you a perfect chocolate color.

Step 5: Turn the mold upside down.

Turn the shell upside down and paint again until you have all the cavities filled.

Step 6: Scrape the top of the mold so that the next coat won’t mix with the cocoa butter.

Step 7: Let the cocoa butter dry out completely.

This will take about 10 to 15 mins. It’s crucial to give the cocoa butter ample time to dry entirely. Otherwise, you’ll have bleeding of cocoa butter later.

Step 8: Fill the shell with chocolate.

If you’re doing a solid piece, fill it with chocolate, then let it set for 30 minutes.

Step 9: Pull them out of the mold.

Just pull out the chocolate from the mold and enjoy your shiny piece of candy!

A lot of chefs, as well as scientists, think that the two are a possible pair because chocolate can mask the hash-like taste of marijuana, and both share chemical cousins which are THC and anandamide. Both chemicals also affect mood, pain perception, and appetite.

The Chemicals

THC or tetrahydrocannabinol is the main active ingredient of cannabis. It fits into the cannabinoid receptors in the brain, affecting the mind.

On the other hand, anandamide is a lipid that can be found in chocolate and also be produced in the brain. It’s almost identical to THC and causes a mild type of high.

When you combine both chemicals, they are believed by many scientists to prevent the cannabinoids like THC and CBD from breaking down, causing people to stay high for longer. It’s probably the reason why pot brownies are common.

A Closer Look at Anandamide

This chemical found in cacao powder is also produced by the brain and is used by neurons to communicate to one another. It’s believed to stimulate the human brain’s marijuana receptors, causing it to imitate what marijuana can do for the body.

Anandamide is responsible for pleasure and motivation too. According to experiments, it may be as significant as serotonin and dopamine. It could even affect the way we think and express our emotions. When it was injected into rats’ forebrain during one study, it served as a pleasure enhances. It even increased the appetite of the rats. Having said this, it might largely affect how much a human can consume weed.

Anandamide is even referred to as an endocannabinoid since it’s made by the human body and copies the cannabinoids found in cannabis plants.

Because of this, chocolate and weed are regarded to be similar when it comes to boosting the brain’s cannabis neurotransmitter system. But because there’s not much chemical in the powder, you can’t get high from eating chocolate; the high will only stay longer because of the chocolate.

The Other Chemical

Theobromine is a bitter, volatile compound that can be found in cacao seeds. It’s a xanthine alkaloid that resembles caffeine when it comes to its effects on the body. Theobromine is a well-known vasodilator which drives chemicals and nutrients into the tissues, which could also be accountable for amplifying THC and CBD effects in the body, according to some studies.

Conclusion

Although further research needs to be carried out, the chances that the two could get along better is high. But if you can’t wait for the results of future studies, you can always buy chocolates from a store and harvest your marijuana plants using one of the top bud trimmers right now, then experiment yourself. But of course, be careful.

Contrary to popular belief, chocolate gives more health benefits than any other kind of sweet food out there.

One, it helps your body spread off a dose of much-needed endorphins to decrease high levels of stress. Two, it helps your body spread off a dose of much-needed energy to increase low levels of focus. Most of all, chocolate simply makes a person healthy – inside and out – thanks to its antioxidant properties.

However, it’s worth noting that you can only get these health benefits with the right kind of chocolate – namely, dark chocolate or any kind of raw cocoa.

And if you’re still wondering if about eating chocolate more often, here are some reasons why you should just go ahead and do it:

It helps lower the risk of heart diseases.

Aside from decreasing high levels of stress, chocolate also helps lower the risk of heart diseases. This is because chocolate, especially dark chocolate, has less fat content and is found to have compounds that help protect the heart against oxidation of low-density lipoprotein – the number one culprit of high cholesterol levels.

It helps protect the skin from sun damages.

If you’re constantly worrying about getting burned by the sun when you’re out all day, which can either be due to work or because of recreation, this item will make you jump for joy. You see, chocolate has a component called flavanol. This component is best known to improve blood flow in your skin, as well as increase hydration and density in your skin. The best part? It helps protect your skin from sun damages.

Indeed, chocolate gives more health benefits than any other kind of sweets out there.

How about you?

Do you love to eat chocolate?

Do you know any other health benefits of eating chocolate? Let us know in the comments section below!

On another hand, check out this Paleo London Broil recipe that gives more health benefits than any other kind of dishes out there.

The main thought:

Dr. Clower diet plan lets you snack chocolates that contains 70% Cocoa or above. The diet requires you to eat chocolate before and after meal including breakfast and dinner. According to the book Cocoa can help boost your metabolism by providing enough sugar (it makes sense that you cannot each chocolates unless it has 70% Cocoa content) and pumping loads of anti-oxidants to your immune system. The bitter-sweet taste helps reduce appetite and sends signal to your brain that says, “You have eaten enough.” Since you eat very dark chocolates, this diet won’t spike your sugar levels and instead just balance it so you will not crave for something sweet anymore. Get the book through www.amazon.com

Before the book:

I’m a chocolate lover. My day will not be complete without having a bar of chocolate. My mouth waters whenever it crosses my mind. Chocolate is like cigarette to me, a bad habit to break. Eating too many sweets has taken its toll on by body, and I gained a lot of weight but at least I’m happy. Till one day, my friend and I visited our favorite bookstore when I came across this book that says “Eat Chocolate, Lose Weight”. I told myself, sounds a plan! I grabbed the book and paid for it. My friend thought that I was becoming desperate to lose weight, maybe I am. I have nothing to lose here, I get to eat what I wanted and lose at the same time, and so what’s the catch?

The catch:

I thought I could eat all types of chocolates but I was wrong. I could only eat dark chocolates. They’re not even sweet, they are bitter.

The process:

Maybe my friend is right, I’m already desperate to lose weight. I’m not the type of person who would agreed to this

Do you need some gift ideas? You’re on the right place. I’ll show you our delicious first chocolate project, perfect for gifts and giveaways. We really recommend this art chocolate project because it’s easy and fun to do. You can even ask your kids to help, we’re sure that they’ll have a good time, too.

Here are the things you will need:

Heavy cream

Chocolate scrapes

White chocolate

Milk

Dark chocolate scrapes

Optional: Liquour (if you are planning to give this to your adult friends)

For outer coating designs

You can use your imagination of how you want your truffles to look like. You can choose from a wide variety of options (almond nuts, hazelnuts, sprinkles, frosting, cocoa powder, and caramel drizzle, crushed chocolate bars, crushed while chocolate, cookies, dried fruits, and you name it!). You can be playful with the designs, just use your intuition which decorating materials you want to use here. If you need molding cups and trays, edible icing colors and other cute pre made decorations, you can start browsing these sites.

Ready to make your first truffles? Let’s start and don’t forget the apron. You just need to follow these 4 easy steps.

Prepare your ganache

Pre-heat heavy cream and once boiling, add you chocolate scrapes. The measurement depends on how much truffles you want to make. Just remember that the measurement of heavy cream and chocolate scrapes is 1 is to 1. Example, you have 500 grams of heavy cream so your chocolate scrape should be 500 grams as well. After mixing, place it on the fridge so it won’t be too runny when we start doing the coating. Easy right?

Prepare the coating

Mix white chocolate, dark chocolate and milk and slightly expose to heat until melted. Like ganache, the measurement is 1 is to 1. Let it cool but do not place it on the fridge.

Roll them into balls

Decide how big you want your truffles to be and roll your ganache and transform them into these fantastic balls. Place a grease paper on a tray or your work station and place your well-rounded truffles.

Coat your truffles

Use a fork to drain the excess coating. Place your truffle on top of the fork and drizzle them with your rich coating using a spoon. Place your coated truffles on grease paper

Here’s the best part! Designing time.

Be creative and don’t be afraid to make multiple designs. This part is the fun part, combine multiple designing materials to make the most daring pieces